OKLAHOMA CITY The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence has announced the recipients of its prestigious 2020 Academic All-State Awards. These 100 top public high school seniors, selected from 495 nominations statewide, hail from 75 schools in 69 Oklahoma school districts.

The 2020 Academic All-State class is the 34th to be selected by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence.  Since the award program’s inception in 1987, some 3,400 high school seniors from 326 school districts have been named Academic All-State scholars. Three high schools will celebrate their first Academic All-Stater: Hooker High School, Oklahoma Virtual Charter Academy and Silo High School.

Each of this year’s All-Staters will receive a $1,000 merit-based scholarship and a medallion. The All-Staters will be recognized at the foundation’s 34th annual Academic Awards Banquet on Saturday, May 16, at the Embassy Suites Conference Center in Norman.

Cathryn Render, president of the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, describes the selection of the scholars as “Oklahoma’s most rigorous academic competition.” To be nominated for Academic All-State, students must meet one of the following criteria: an American College Test (ACT) composite score of at least 30; a combined SAT evidence-based reading & writing and math score of at least 1370; or be selected as a semi-finalist for a National Merit, National Achievement or National Hispanic Scholarship.

This year’s All-Staters scored an average of 33.9 on the ACT, with 15 recipients scoring a perfect 36. The students’ average GPA was 4.20. In addition, 40 of this year’s All-Staters are National Merit semifinalists, and two are National Hispanic Scholar semifinalists.

Academic All-Staters are selected based on academic achievement, extracurricular activities and community involvement, as well as letters of recommendation and an essay submitted by each nominee. The selection committee, which is chaired by retired Tulsa attorney Teresa B. Adwan, works independently of all other foundation activities. The committee members are a diverse group of business, education and civic leaders, as well as past Academic Awards Program honorees.

The Academic Awards Banquet is open to the public, with admission priced at $50. The awards ceremony will later be televised statewide by OETA, the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority. For more information, call the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence office at (405) 236-0006 or visit its website at ofe.org.

Founded in 1985, the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence is a statewide, nonprofit organization dedicated to recognizing and encouraging academic excellence in Oklahoma’s public schools. Through its Academic Awards Program, the foundation has provided more than $4.8 million in merit-based scholarships and awards to honor outstanding graduating seniors as Academic All-Staters and exceptional educators as Medal for Excellence winners.

 

2020 Academic All-State Class

*Indicates the All-State Scholar is the sibling of a previous winner. ** Recipient is the child of a previous winner.

    

Name

School District

School

City

Michael Draper*

Ada

Ada High School

Ada

Michaella Reed

Altus

Altus High School

Altus

Tyson Vernon

Altus

Altus High School

Olustee

Pace Mittelstaedt

Amber-Pocasset

Amber-Pocasset High School

Chickasha

Stone Yang

Bartlesville

Bartlesville High School

Bartlesville

Reanna DeLozier

Battiest

Battiest High School

Battiest

Kegan Firey

Berryhill

Berryhill High School

Sand Springs

Piper Lloyd

Bethany

Bethany High School

OKC

Hudson Haskins

Bethel

Bethel High School

Shawnee

Tara Eldridge

Bixby

Bixby High School

Bixby

Aidan Sudler

Bixby

Bixby High School

Bixby

Jonah Wagner

Bixby

Bixby High School

Bixby

Peyton Pierson

Blanchard

Blanchard High School

Blanchard

Michael Musa

Broken Arrow

Broken Arrow High School

Broken Arrow

Emily Hurst

Broken Bow

Broken Bow High School

Broken Bow

Ava Gladwell

Cache

Cache High School

Cache

Ava Swanson

Cache

Cache High School

Lawton

Jared Cox

Canton

Canton High School

Canton

Lydia England

Charter

Oklahoma Virtual Charter Academy

OKC

Aaron Villaneuva

Charter

Santa Fe South Pathways Middle College

OKC

Danielle Dick

Chisholm

Chisholm High School

Enid

Bryant Chitsey

Choctaw-Nicoma Park

Choctaw High School

Choctaw

Aiyana Washington

Choctaw-Nicoma Park

Choctaw High School

Midwest City

Austin Haddock

Claremore

Claremore High School

Claremore

Sarah Willhoite

Claremore

Claremore High School

Claremore

Margaret Grace Baysinger*

Collinsville

Collinsville High School

Collinsville

Kirk Huseman

Cushing

Cushing High School

Cushing

Julie Dawkins

Deer Creek

Deer Creek High School

Edmond

Lauran Zheng

Deer Creek

Deer Creek High School

Edmond

Vanessa Cassidy*

Duncan

Duncan High School

Duncan

Ian McEntire

Duncan

Duncan High School

Duncan

Vivian Taylor

Durant

Durant High School

Durant

Fiza Sheikh

Edmond

Edmond Santa Fe High School

Edmond

Christopher Sipols

Edmond

Edmond North High School

Edmond

Lauren Smith

Edmond

Edmond Santa Fe High School

Edmond

Kevin Zhang

Edmond

Edmond Memorial High School

Edmond

Bradleigh Baker

El Reno

El Reno High School

El Reno

Hope Cunningham

Elgin

Elgin High School

Lawton

Alaina Spencer

Fort Gibson

Fort Gibson High School

Fort Gibson

Bo Robbins

Guthrie

Guthrie High School

Guthrie

Keaton Lollis

Henryetta

Henryetta High School

Henryetta

Mason Stalder

Hooker

Hooker High School

Hooker

Daniel Ripp

Inola

Inola High School

Inola

Aadesh Bajaj

Jenks

Jenks High School

Tulsa

Michael Hwang

Jenks

Jenks High School

Tulsa

Jackson Jeffries

Jenks

Jenks High School

Tulsa

Mark Mills

Jenks

Jenks High School

Tulsa

Harrison Themer

Kingfisher

Kingfisher High School

Kingfisher

Sophie Fosmire

Kremlin-Hillsdale

Kremlin-Hillsdale High School

Enid

Eric Wang

Lawton

MacArthur High School

Lawton

Connor Walker

Lomega

Lomega High School

Kingfisher

Madison Eulberg

Meeker

Meeker High School

Meeker

Corbin Walls*

Miami

Miami High School

Miami

Landon Bolyard

Midwest City-Del City

Midwest City High School

OKC

Kristen Duong

Moore

Moore High School

OKC

William Travis Fink

Moore

Westmoore High School

OKC

Caleb Lawson

Moore

Moore High School

Moore

Kaylyn Raper*

Morrison

Morrison High School

Morrison

Desiree Rickett

Mustang

Mustang High School

OKC

Cale Greenroyd

Newcastle

Newcastle High School

Newcastle

Calder Blackman

Norman

Norman North High School

Norman

Lindsay Bolino

Norman

Norman North High School

Norman

Zile Cao

Norman

Norman North High School

Norman

Charis Forbes

Norman

Norman High School

Norman

Samuel Kolar

Norman

Norman North High School

Norman

Claudia Merchan-Breuer

Norman

Norman North High School

Norman

Bradey Riopelle

Norman

Norman North High School

Norman

Shengran Zhou

Norman

Norman High School

Norman

Dimitri Bradford

Oklahoma City

Classen SAS at Northeast HS

Jones

Helen Dai*

OSSM

Ok. School of Science & Mathematics

Stillwater

Xinyi Li

OSSM

Ok. School of Science & Mathematics

Stillwater

Ronan Locker

Owasso

Owasso High School

Owasso

Katheryn Turner

Owasso

Owasso High School

Owasso

Luke Hamilton

Pauls Valley

Pauls Valley High School

Pauls Valley

Tobias Johnson

Piedmont

Piedmont High School

Piedmont

Colton Peery

Plainview

Plainview High School

Ardmore

Larin Wade

Ringling

Ringling High School

Ringling

Ethan Ratzlaff

Ringwood

Ringwood High School

Meno

William Bouchard**

Sand Springs

Charles Page High School

Sand Springs

Jaedyn Magness

Shattuck

Shattuck High School

Shattuck

Shelby Jones

Shawnee

Shawnee High School

Shawnee

Madison Gordon

Silo

Silo High School

Durant

Zahmiria Johnson

Stillwater

Stillwater High School

Stillwater

Daniel Tikalsky

Stillwater

Stillwater High School

Stillwater

Nicco Wang*

Stillwater

Stillwater High School

Stillwater

Hailey Williams

Strother

Strother High School

Okemah

Kylie Hix

Tahlequah

Tahlequah High School

Tahlequah

Christine Do

Tulsa

Booker T. Washington High School

Tulsa

Xena Gehring

Tulsa

Thomas A. Edison Prep. High School

Tulsa

Nathaniel Ijams*

Tulsa

Booker T. Washington High School

Tulsa

Carson Buller**

Turpin

Turpin High School

Turpin

Keegan Knouse

Union

Union High School

Tulsa

Anna Claire McMullen

Union

Union High School

Tulsa

Gabrielle McMahon-Csaki

Vanoss

Vanoss High School

Stratford

Catherine Tramel

Verdigris

Verdigris High School

Claremore

Claire Levesque

Wagoner

Wagoner High School

Wagoner

Emily Cornforth

Washington

Washington High School

Purcell

Noah Hightower

Watonga

Watonga High School

Watonga

Callie Madison Stephens

Weatherford

Weatherford High School

Weatherford

Nicholas Seyegh

Western Heights

Western Heights High School

OKC

OKLAHOMA CITY Charlie Balthrop, a fifth-grader at Eisenhower Elementary School in Norman, has been named winner of the 2020 Colonial Day Literature Contest sponsored by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence.

Charlie, 10, was recognized and read his award-winning essay, “What It Means To Be An American,” during Colonial Day at the Oklahoma History Center on Feb. 7 in the Devon Great Hall.  Nearly 300 students participated in the contest.

Revolutionary War hero James Armistead Lafayette, portrayed by historical interpreter Stephen Seals from Colonial Williamsburg, presented Charlie with a plaque and a $100 prize during Colonial Day opening ceremonies. Charlie also received a citation from his state representative Merleyn Bell during the event. Charlie’s essay focused on First Amendment rights, America’s diversity and the importance of voting.

“I am so proud of Charlie and his essay,” said Deji Dugger, Charlie’s Gifted and Talented Program teacher at Eisenhower. “We talk about how important being a good and active citizen is for our country, and he took it to great length to promote voting in our society. I know he is going to be that productive citizen our country needs now more than ever. May he continue to use his voice!”

Charlie is the son of Matt Balthrop of Moore and LaDawn and Josh Batch of Norman. He is active in Moore Youth Football League and enjoys raising fish and playing computer games. He is a straight-A student who enjoys reading and learning about current events.

Also recognized at the Colonial Day opening ceremony were four contest finalists, who received certificates of merit. They were Olivia Johnson of Oakdale Elementary School in EDMOND; Lucas West of John Rex Charter Elementary School in OKLAHOMA CITY; Lindzee Wessels of CHEROKEE Elementary School; and Rosa Gonzalez of Coolidge Elementary School in ENID.

During Colonial Day, nearly 300 Oklahoma fifth-graders dressed in early-American clothing, traveled back in time to meet historical figures and learn about the daily lives of early Americans. Colonial Day is coordinated by teachers who have participated in the Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute through a fellowship program administered by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence.

Major funding for Colonial Day is provided by a grant from Oklahoma Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities. The event is also made possible with support from Aunt Pittypat’s Catering, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Embassy Suites Hilton Oklahoma City Northwest, George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens, Mattocks Printing Co., the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of Oklahoma, the Oklahoma History Center, the Oklahoma Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Charles L. Oppenheim and Catherine Wootten.

 

“What It Means To Be An American”

By Charlie Balthrop

Being an American to me means having freedom of speech, freedom to choose your own religion and the freedom to fulfill your own dreams. I believe being an American also means that everyone is equal and has equal rights. One very important right is the right to vote.

Americans are very fortunate to have these freedoms. Many people come to American for better opportunities – to be free and to have a better chance at achieving their dreams. Our forefathers fought for us to have these freedoms, and it’s something we should never take for granted.

America is a very diverse country with many different races and religions. It is our duty to respect each other, no matter what race or religion people may be. Just as the Pledge of Allegiance states, “One nation under God and indivisible with liberty and justice for all,” we are meant to unite together, fight together and above all, love one another.

In the United States, no one is required to vote in any local, state or presidential election. Voting is, however, a privilege that we should never waiver. Our forefathers have written several amendments to the Constitution that discuss our right to vote.

It is my promise to my country to exercise and never waiver my rights as an American. I know as an American, I have the freedom of speech, freedom to choose my religion and the freedom to fulfill my own dreams. I also promise to respect my fellow Americans, regardless of race or religion. I will also, when of age, exercise my right to vote. I have great respect for my forefathers and the solid foundation in which they build our country. I am proud to be an American.

Charlie Balthrop, (front right), a fifth-grader at Eisenhower Elementary School in Norman, receives a citation from State Rep. Merleyn Bell recognizing him as the winner of the Colonial Day Literature Contest, sponsored by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence. They are joined by (back row, from left) Eisenhower Elementary School Vice Principal Andrea Crowe, Principal Danielle Eikel and Colonial Williamsburg Historical interpreter Stephen Seals, who portrays Revolutionary War hero James Armistead Lafayette. Lafayette presented Charlie with a plaque and $100 award during opening ceremonies of Colonial Day at the Oklahoma History Center, held recently in Oklahoma City. Nearly 300 Oklahoma students participated in the literature contest and other Colonial Day activities. (Photo by David Wheelock)

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